SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/4/2013
10:33 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Introduction
to Isaiah PT-3
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah
Message of the
verses: Today we look at the third
part of our introduction to the book of Isaiah.
The Message: As we
look at the different messages in the book of Isaiah I think that to help us
understand the book better that I want to copy the outline that is found in Dr.
Wiersbe’s commentary on Isaiah.
Key Theme: The salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.
Key Verse: Isaiah 1:18, “"Come now, and let us reason
together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will
be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’”
I.
Condemnation. 1-39
1.
Sermons against
Judah and Israel. (1-12)
2.
Burdens of
Judgment against the Gentiles. (13-23)
3.
Songs about
Future Glory. (24-27)
4.
Woes of Coming
Judgment from Assyria. (28-35)
5.
Historical
Interlude. (36-39)
a.
Hezekiah
delivered from Assyria. (36-37)
b.
Hezekiah
deceived by Babylon. (37-38)
II.
Consolation. (40-46)
1.
God’s
Greatness. (40-48) (The Father vs. idols)
2.
God’s Grace. (49-57)
(The Son, God’s Servant)
3.
God’s Glory
(58-66) (The Spirit and the kingdom)
As
we follow this outline we can then see the different messages that Isaiah will
give to different peoples and nations. I
have mentioned before that the book of Isaiah is broken up into two different
sections, which is similar to the way our Bible is broken up between the OT and
the NT, the first 39 books of our Bible have the OT in them. And then the NT
has 27 books in it making a total of 66 books which is the same amount of
chapters that are found in the book of Isaiah, and the book of Isaiah makes a
major break between chapters 39 and 40.
We can see from the outline that the last 27 chapters are a focus on the
different persons of the trinity. This
makes the last 27 chapters more likened unto the NT in our Bibles.
In
chapters one through six we will see messages denouncing sin, personal sin and
in chapters seven through twelve we see messages denouncing the national sins
of the leaders. These messages were
directed to the people of Judah, and this is similar to the prophets Amos and
Hosea with the exception that their messages were for the Northern Kingdom.
In
chapters 13-23 we see Isaiah preaching to the gentile nations that were around
the nation of Israel at that time.
Israel had more light than these nations and therefore would receive
more punishment, but the gentile nations also had light for as the Apostle Paul
writes to the Romans in chapter 2:1-16 these nations were sinning against their
consciences. Paul does answer the
question “what about the heathen” in his letter to the Romans and his
conclusion to this matter is “All have sinned and come short of the glory of
God.”
Dr.
Wiersbe points out that as we look at the book of Isaiah we will see that God
will judge those in need of judgment, but will also bring words of hope to
those who read this book. God is the God
of wrath, but is also the God who is love as these two are a part of His
attributes.
Chapters
28-35 speaks of the impending judgment of the Assyrians who will eventually
capture the Northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B. C. They will also do damage to the Southern
Kingdom, but God will not allow them to conquer Jerusalem, for this will be
done by the Babylonians beginning in 605 B. C. and ending in 586 B. C. with the
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple of God.
The
outline shows that chapters 36-38 speak of personal events that happen in the
life of Hezekiah, and these chapters are identical what is written in
2Kings. We see a break of who the
enemies of Judah are in chapters 38-39 as the Assyrians will be replaced by the
Babylonians who will take captive many of the Jewish remnant into Babylon.
We mentioned that the second part of the book
covers chapters 40-66 and is entitle “The Book of Consolation” a name given to
it by Jewish Rabbis, and this was agreeable to Dr. Wiersbe. Isaiah 40:1 says “"Comfort, O comfort My
people," says your God.” This word “comfort”
can also mean “to repent.” People who
repent will be comforted.
In
the outline we see that chapters 40-66 can be broken up with different members
of the trinity seen. We know that
chapter 53 speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ and Isaiah prophecies that the “Servant”
will take the punishment for our sins.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “Servant is one of the key words in this section of
the Book of Isaiah. The word is used
seventeen times and has three different referents: the nation of Israel (41:8-9; 43:10); Cyrus,
king of Persia, whom God raised up to help Israel restore their nation and
rebuild their temple (44:28; 45:1; see Ezra 1:1); and Jesus Christ, the Son of
God (Isa. 42:1, 19; 52:13; 53:11), the Suffering Servant who died for the sins
of the world. While Assyria and Egypt
vie for the center stage in chapters 1-39, it is Babylon and Persia that get
the attention in Chapters 40-66.”
We
will also see that some of the different judgments that occur in Isaiah have
messages of the future when the Lord will reign for 1000 years in the Messianic
Kingdom.
Dr.
Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this section with these words: “Isaiah had a word of promise to Judah that
God would deliver Jerusalem from the enemy for the sake of David’s throne. There was also a word of hope for the future
Jewish exiles in Babylon, that God would rescue them and help them restore
their nation and their temple. But
Isaiah’s greatest message is his word of salvation, announcing the coming of
the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, who would die for sinners and one day
return to earth to establish His glorious kingdom.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is good
to have hope, and Isaiah not only talks about judgment, but also about
hope. There are times when hope comes
after judgment as was the case of our Lord who took the judgment of God on
Himself so that those He calls will have the hope of salvation, and after He accomplished
this He was glorified by His Father. See
John 17.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Proverbs 3:5-6.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 46:1-4
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though
the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and
foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glade the city of
God, the holy dwelling place of the most high.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Ten” (Exodus 20)
Today’s Bible
Question: “Including the sons of Joseph,
how many people were in Jacob’s household which came to Egypt?”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
7/4/2013 11:31 AM
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